The 400 capacity room was packed out by local people determined to see off the proposal.

Dr Adnan Muhamed, a former consultant at the hospital trust said adults may survive the extra journey time but he feared children would not.

Dr Adnan Muhamed passionate about saving the A&E department.

He said: "I know many children who are alive because of the local service - it matters. I know for a fact children, where three or four minutes more, to Calderdale, Dewsbury or Leeds, it could be a different story."

Student leader, Lianne Hunter, said: "We are going to create a mass movement to show we need an A&E in this town."

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Clr Erin Hill said: "This is not about political parties tearing lumps out of each other. It's about making sure nobody suffers more than they have to."

Lianne Hunter representing the students of Huddersfield.

The meeting also saw the group elect a committee for the campaign and discuss the campaign's strategy.

The Facebook community, formed by Karl Deitch, has more than 40,000 members.